Assistant editing display method for media clips

ABSTRACT

This specification discloses an assistant editing display method for media clips. It provides in multimedia editing software an improved three-point control scheme. In other words, the concept of double time axes is used to execute editing display processes for media clips. In contrast with the multimedia editing and processing software in the prior art, the disclosed technique is characterized in that: the disclosed method provides an assistant display mode to resize the display ratio of assigned media clip and to perform detailed media editing processes. The invention can solve the problems that it is impossible to visualize detailed media clip presentation and to perform detailed media clip editing processes when the media clip is too long.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] 1. Field of Invention

[0002] The invention relates to the editing display method for multimedia editing and processing software and, in particular, to a double-time axis assistant editing display method for media clips with the time concept.

[0003] 2. Related Art

[0004] Up to now, the multimedia editing and processing can be divided into linear and nonlinear types. The conventional linear editing method has to rely very much upon the uses of various hardware devices. The editing process is performed step by step. Therefore, the multimedia processing is more expensive, less flexible, and less efficient. Moreover, if the screen effects to be processed are too complicated, it is almost impossible to finish the job without using fancy hardware devices or much effort and time in repeatedly processing the same frame. All such inconveniences render the linear editing and processing method less favorable. This method is only adopted by very few television media.

[0005] The nonlinear editing and processing method is the new-generation one. Since the nonlinear method uses a digitized way to edit multimedia clips, it is thus more convenient, flexible and efficient, but less expensive in processing than the linear method. It is currently the most popular multimedia editing and processing method. However, such multimedia editing and processing software usually uses a single time axis to represent the time relation of the corresponding multimedia files. The three-point control method, which defines a media clip to be edited using an in-point, an out-point, and a current-point set by the user, is then employed for the user to perform various media processes in the corresponding media clip.

[0006] Nevertheless, the conventional three-point control method is likely to cause users troubles when the media clip is too long. Take the editing operation of a two-hour long media clip as an example. The clips visible to the user on the horizontal time axis are in units of 5 minutes, 10 minutes, or 20 minutes (depending upon the multimedia editing and processing software). Using the three-point control method, the user can only perform large-area media clip editing. There is no way to quickly and precisely find the desired media contents in a media clip for detailed processing. Sometimes it is even impossible to perform editing. Therefore, one cannot make high-quality media using the conventional software.

[0007] Therefore, it is necessary to develop a media editing and processing method based upon current computer software technology to provide a whole new user interface for media clip presentation. Not only should the user experience the more precise media clip visualization, the software should also enables the user to perform precise and detailed editing on an assigned media clip in a more efficient and convenient way.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0008] The disclosed assistance editing display method for media clips provides the user an improved three-point control mechanism to perform media clip editing. The improved three-point control mechanism is a method that utilizes the concept of double time axes to generate assistant editing display of a media clip. Through the disclosed assistant display mode, the user can arbitrarily resize the display ratio of a dsignated media clip and perform more detailed editing and processing.

[0009] Using the invention, the user can use the visualized doubel time axes to search sliding bar interface and the media clip interface, performing more detailed and more precise editing processes in the designated media clip. During the editing process, the user can arbitrarily adjust the range of the medi clip or resize the media clip according to the needs at any time. Therefore, the multimedia editing process is made much easier, more precise and efficient.

[0010] In fact, the disclosed assistant editing display method for media clips is featured in improving the conventional three-point control of single-time axis (i.e. the first trim-bar interface and the first media clip interface). It can provide a more detailed assistant display mode by producing another time axis interface for the media clip. The assistant display mode contains the following steps. First, it receives media clip information and generates a second trim-bar interface and a second media clip interface using an equal-proportion mechanism. It then displays a current-point cursor and the corresponding media content. Finally, it provides various editing operations for the second media clip.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0011] The invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description given hereinbelow illustration only, and thus are not limitative of the present invention, and wherein:

[0012]FIG. 1-a is a flowchart of the media clip editing display according to the disclosed assistant editing display method for media clips;

[0013]FIG. 1-b is a flowchart of the assistant media clip editing display according to the disclosed assistant editing display method for media clips;

[0014]FIG. 2-a is an embodiment of the media clip editing display according to the invention;

[0015]FIG. 2-b is an embodiment of the assistant video clip editing display according to the invention; and

[0016]FIG. 2-c is an embodiment of the assistant sound clip editing display according to the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0017] The disclosed assistant editing display method for media clips is mainly used for media clips with the time concept. The so-called media clip contains at least video and sound. In comparison with the three-point control provided in the conventional multimedia editing and processing software that performs media clip editing along a single horizontal time axis, the invention provides an improved three-point control method that has double-time axes. Through the visualization of the search rods and the media clip user interfaces, the user can accurately find the media clip frame to be edited and perform detailed editing and processing.

[0018] In the following, we will use FIGS. 1-a and 1-b to explain the procedure of the disclosed method and, at the same time, refer to FIGS. 2-a, 2-b, and 2-c for an embodiment of the invention. First, with reference to FIG. 1-a, the disclosed media clip editing flowchart is similar to that for the conventional single-time axis media clip editing method. When the user performs a media clip editing display process, a media clip editing interface 900 has to be started first, reading in the selected media file information (step 100). The media file information contains: name, time, file size, and media source path. One can refer to FIG. 2-a for an embodiment of the media clip editing the media file information is extracted to generate a first trim-bar interface 901 using an equal-proportion mechanism (step 200). The equal-proportion mechanism sets the rod adjustment sections of the first trim-bar interface according to the time information (e.g. dividing a one-hour media file into ten sections, dividing a ten-minute media file into five sections, etc). The number of sections can be set by the user through the media clip editing interface 900. The method then starts to receive media clip information set by the user in step 300. The media clip information contains: in-point time, out-point time, and a current-point cursor 915. An embodiment is shown in FIG. 2-a, where the first in-point time 905, the first out-point time 910, and the current-point cursor 915 are shown. In particular, the interval between the first in-point time 905 and the first out-point time 910 is the first media clip. The position of the current-point cursor 915 indicates the time corresponding to the current media clip screen. Step 400 determines whether the media clip information setting is complete. If not, the procedure goes back to step 300. Otherwise, the first media clip interface 901 is generated and the media content corresponding to the current-point cursor 915 is displayed (step 500). Step 600 determines whether the user starts the assistant display mode. The user can press the assistant display mode button 920 in FIG. 2-a to start the mode. If the mode is started, then the procedure continues to step A in FIG. 1-b. Otherwise, the media editing operations for the first media clip are provided (step 700). Step 800 determines whether the editing is complete. If so, the whole media clip editing display procedure is complete. Otherwise, the procedure returns to step 600 and repeats steps following that.

[0019] After entering step A, please refer to FIG. 1-b. Step 610 starts the assistant display mode. In step 620, the media clip information is received according to the user's settings, and a second trim-bar interface 902 and a second media clip interface 902 are generated using the equal-proportion mechanism. An embodiment is shown in FIG. 2-b (or FIG. 2-c), where the interval between the second in-point time 940 and the second out-point time 945 forms the second media section and the position of the current-point cursor 915 indicates the time corresponding to the current media clip screen. At this moment, the previous media clip becomes the assistant display media clip 925 as in FIG. 2-b (or FIG. 2-c). The equal-proportion mechanism sets the rod adjustment sections of the second trim-bar interface according to the media clip time information set by the user (the media clip time information is the difference between the out-point time and the in-point time). The number of sections can be set by the user through the media clip editing interface 900. For example, the user can use the zoom-in button 930 or zoom-out button 935 in FIG. 2-b to perform settings. Step 630 displays the current-point cursor and the corresponding media content. Step 640 determines whether the user adjusts the media clip information. The user can use the mouse to immediately adjust the in-point time or out-point time of the original media clip information (i.e. the assistant display media clip 925) in a dragging way. If there is any adjustment, then the procedure goes to step 650 to store the adjusted media clip information and to regenerate the first media clip interface 901, followed by step 620 again. In the assistant display mode, the received media clip information is used to regenerate the corresponding second trim-bar interface 902 and the second media clip interface 902 using the equal-proportion mechanism. If there is no adjustment, step 660 provides various media editing operations on the second media clip. Step 670 determines whether the editing is complete. If so, the procedure continues to step B in FIG. 1-a, finishing the whole media clip editing display procedure. Otherwise, step 680 determines whether the user chooses to finish the assistant display mode. The user can use the ending button 950 in FIG. 2-b (or FIG. 2-c) to finish the assistant display mode. In this case, step 690 terminates the second trim-bar interface 902, followed by step 700 (i.e. going back to the editing state with only the first trim-bar interface) for the user to perform various media editing operations on the first media clip. If the user has not finished the assistant display mode, the procedure returns to step 660.

[0020] Certain variations would be apparent to those skilled in the art, which variations are considered within the spirit and scope of the claimed invention. 

What is claimed is:
 1. An assistant editing display method for media clips to provide an improved three-point control in multimedia editing software for executing a media clip editing display process, wherein the method is characterized in starting an assistant display mode to resize a display ratio and perform detailed editing process in a designated media clip, the assistant display mode comprising the steps of: receiving media clip information and generating a second trim-bar interface and a second media clip interface using an equal-proportion mechanism; displaying a current-point cursor and a corresponding media content; and providing media editing operations for the second media clip.
 2. The method of claim 1 applied to the media clip editing display process with the time concept.
 3. The method of claim 2, wherein the types of the media clip include at least video and sound.
 4. The method of claim 1, wherein the media clip editing display process comprises the steps of: starting the media clip editing interface and reading in information of a selected media file; extracting time information from the media clip information and generating a first trim-bar interface using the equal-proportion mechanism; receiving the media clip information set by a user; generating a first media clip interface and displaying the media content corresponding to the current-point cursor; and providing media editing operations for the first media clip.
 5. The method of claim 4, wherein the media file information contains at least a name, a time, a file size, and a media source path.
 6. The method of claim 4, wherein the equal-proportion mechanism is to set the number of rod adjustment sections in the first trim-bar interface according to the time information.
 7. The method of claim 1, wherein the media clip information contains at least an in-point time, an out-point time and the current-point cursor.
 8. The method of claim 1, wherein the equal-proportion mechanism is to set the number of rod adjustment sections in the second trim-bar interface according to the media clip time information.
 9. The method of claim 1, wherein the equal-proportion mechanism is performed at real time through an interface.
 10. The method of claim 8, wherein the media clip time information is the difference between the out-point time and the in-point time.
 11. The method of claim 10, wherein the media clip time information is immediately adjustable by dragging in an interface. 